The Vikes opened the meet with a sweep of the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle on Friday as Alec Page, a 2012 Olympian, won gold with a new Canada West record of 15 minutes and 4.48 seconds. Vikes Eric Hedlin and Will Brothers won bronze. Page also finished second in the men’s 50m butterfly and helped the Vikes men’s 800m freestyle relay team to second.

Later in the weekend Ian Mattock won silver in the men’s 400m individual medley. Allison Wood won silver in the women’s 200m freestyle, just ahead of Ella Dalling, who was fifth. Vikes Rachael Newman and Stephanie Horner swam to fourth and fifth, respectively, in the women’s 100m butterfly.

The latter two are among 19 Vikes swimmers to qualify for the CIS championships in Calgary on Feb. 21 to 23, as reported on the Vikes website. The UBC Thunderbirds won the women’s team trophy and the Calgary Dino’s won the men’s team trophy.

Martinson wins second Island Race of season

Victoria’s Geoff Martinson is two for two in the 2013 Frontrunners Island Race Series.

The former Vikes track star set the overall course records at the Cobble Hill 10K on Sunday (Jan. 27) with a time of 30:46, beating Steve Osaduik’s 2008 time of 31:11. Martinson also won the Pioneer 8K two weeks ago, the first race of the series.

“With no watch and no clocks on the course, it wasn’t until the last 100 metres when I could see the finish line clock that I knew the record was within reach,” Martinson said.

A three-second gap separated the women’s winner, Catrin Jones (35:57), and second place Lucy Smith. Martinson (25-29) and Smith (45-49) set two of the five age-group records at the race, which had 532 finishers.

The Cedar 12K on Feb. 10 is next in the Island series followed by the Hatley Castle 8K at Royal Roads University on Feb. 24.

Vikes hoops look to double Timberwolves

The UVic Vikes men’s and women’s basketball teams host the UNBC Timberwolves for a double-header tonight (Feb. 1) and tomorrow at McKinnon Gymnasium.

The Vikes men (11-5) are in third place in the Pacific Division and are looking for two wins over UNBC (5-11) to help secure a playoff spot. The second-place Vikes women (11-5) are looking like a lock for the playoffs.

Tip off Friday (Feb. 1) is 6 p.m for the Vikes women and 8 p.m. for the men. Saturday’s games start at 5 and 7 p.m.

Kids try field hockey free this weekend

For those who have never tried it, the Victoria Junior Field Hockey organization is offering two ‘Come Try the Game Free’ sessions.

The first is this Sunday, Feb. 3 at UVic’s turf field, from 10 to 11 a.m. The second session is Sunday, March 3, also 10 a.m. at UVic.

New players from five years old to 18 are welcome. Registration for the event and the season, which runs April 6 to June 23, is open at victoriajuniorfieldhockey.ca.

Vic curlers at Cdn. championships

Sanjay Bowry and Corey Chester of the Victoria Curling Club are off to chase their dream of a national championsip.

Bowry, a UVic student here from Dawson Creek, and Chester, a longtime VCC junior and son of club manager Bill, are in their final year of junior eligibility. They won the provincial championship in early January as the second and third, respectively, on a team with Langley players Rhys Gamache (lead) and skip Tyler Klymchuk.

The M&M Meat Shops Canadian Juniors are in Fort McMurray, Alta., from Feb. 2 to 10.

Saanich Braves look to regain form

The Saanich Braves are at home to the Campbell River Storm Friday (Feb. 1) with hopes of turning the team’s January troubles around.

The Braves held a strangle-hold on second place in the VIJHL until January, when the team won just two of 10 games. Earlier this season it was inconceivable that the pair of surging expansion teams, the Nanaimo Buccaneers and Westshore Wolves, could both catch the Braves for second place in the VIJHL, which each can do in the final stretch.